Writing a One-Paragraph Summary of a Novel

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Writing a One-Paragraph Summary of a Novel

• A template and guide using Gary Paulsen's Hatchet
  as an example novel.

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Writing a Summary
When you are writing a response to literature
essay or a book review, you should summarize the
action of the book, but that should not be the
entire report. One big mistake student's make on
an essay or report is to just write a big, long,
boring summary.
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Writing a Summary
To keep from ruining your essay with a too-long
summary, follow this template to keep your plot
events in order, show that you read the story,
and lead the rest of your essay into what is
important, the analysis of the story.
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Summary Template

• In the (genre) novel (title) by (author),
  (protagonist name) learns/changes/grows through
  (theme).
• Example
• In the adventure novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen,
  Brian grows through perseverence.

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Summary Template

• In the exposition of the novel, (character name)
  is a (age) (gender) who is (a character trait or
  situation).
• Example
• In the exposition of the novel, Brian is a
  teenaged boy who is flying to meet his newly
  divorced father.

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Summary Template

• As the conflict develops, (character name faces
  the challenge of (name the major conflict of the
  story).
• Example
• As the conflict develops, Brian faces the
  challenge of survival when the pilot of the plane
  has a heart attack and dies.

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Book Report Summary

• In the rising action of the story, (character
  name) (what the character does). Then (something
  else happens). Later, (one more event).
• Example
• In the rising action of the story, Brian
  crash-lands the plane into a lake. Then, he eats
  too many berries and drinks too much water and
  gets sick. Later, he builds a shelter and learns
  to fish and hunt for food.

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Summary Template

• The climax of the story happens when (character
  name) faces the greatest challenge when (event
  that turns the story around).
• Example
• The climax of the story happens as Brian faces
  the greatest challenge when a tornado destroys
  everything he has created and stored for survival.

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Book Report Summary

• The falling action tells of (character name)
  (action).
• Example
• The falling action tells of Brian being rescued
  after turning on a transmitter that he finds in
  the planes survival kit.

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Book Report Summary

• In the resolution, (character name) (how he is at
  the end of the story).
• Example
• In the resolution, Brian returns home a stronger
  person mentally and physically, and adjusts to
  his parents divorce.

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Summary Put Together

• In the exposition of the novel, Brian is a
  teenaged boy who is flying to meet his newly
  divorced father. As the conflict develops, Brian
  faces the challenge of survival when the pilot of
  the plane has a heart attack and dies. In the
  rising action of the story, Brian crash-lands the
  plane into a lake. Then, he eats too many
  berries and drinks too much water and gets sick.
  Later, he builds a shelter and learns to fish and
  hunt for food. The climax of the story happens as
  Brian faces the greatest challenge when a tornado
  destroys everything he has created and stored for
  survival. The falling action tells of Brian being
  rescued after turning on a transmitter that he
  finds in the planes survival kit. In the
  resolution, Brian returns home a stronger person
  mentally and physically, and adjusts to his
  parents divorce.